No Question About That - a Manchester United podcast

#1058 | Ed and Dominic pick over United’s 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid. It was better than the scoreline but still leaves Michael Carrick under pressure. United opened with another defensive blunder but grew into the game, creating some decent chances before losing Leny Yoro to a dubious red card.

But defeat is defeat and the noise around Carrick is likely to grow, especially if the run of Leeds, Como, Bournemouth, and Chelsea goes badly.Then post-match, as we were recording, Lisandro Martinez dropped a bombshell!

0:27 Intro: another defeat in Madrid
1:15 Team news, formation, and that opening goal
7:44 The noise around Michael Carrick
15:39 If not Carrick, then who?
21:17 VAR, the disallowed goal, and the red card
25:33 Midfield: Santos, Baleba, and the trade-offs
31:38 Martinez calls out the board: recruitment and finances
50:20 City, PSG, and the cheating debate

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#1057 | Ed and Andy catch up on four straight wins for United Women, which have turned the mood around after a difficult start to the season. 10-1 against Sheffield United, a narrow victory over West Ham, 5-1 against Durham, and a single goal victory over Liverpool. The team’s personality is becoming clearer under Eva Olid.

The conversation widens to goalkeeper depth and how a youth-heavy squad is developing.

Then there’s a preview of the games in the coming week. Charlton in the WSL, a second meeting with Liverpool in the Players Cup, and the Manchester derby.

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0:26 Intro
1:40 New momentum: four wins in a row
5:22 Aggressive press
10:50 Goalkeeping depth
16:38 Crowds, marketing, and the fanbase
19:12 Young players coming through
26:39 WSL picture and City’s charges

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#1056 | Ed and Daniel pick through Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham, a game United led until the 92nd minute but in which they played badly for most of the 90. The first half was as poor as anything this season, with Spurs running through United’s midfield at will. One side was moving, the other standing still. Carrick’s changes on the hour briefly changed the game, including a positive cameo from Carlos Baleba. But after Spurs were reduced to 10 men, United went into their shell and produced some more comedy defending.

Where does Michael Carrick go from here, especially with Tuesday’s trip to Atletico coming up fast, and a very difficult schedule ahead. Nobody at the club wants another manager change but we’ve seen this film before.

0:00 Match reaction: United 1-1 Spurs
2:15 Squad building and transfers
8:25 Tactical analysis: pressing and intensity
15:50 Accountability and selection
24:15 Baleba
31:10 Red card
40:30 Manager future and fixtures
53:20 Atletico preview and sign-off

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#1055 | Ed and Dharnish talk about Manchester City's cheating three weeks on from the verdict and with the appeal under way. City's “it was government money” defence falls apart when the government, the sponsors, and the owner turn out to be one family. With club and fan denial hardening, the likeliest exit is a sale, or a vote to expel if City keep fighting.

There's some chat about why Financial Fair Play was created in the first place, Andy Burnham and the UAE’s investments in the UK, and what Guardiola knew.

Then it’s back to the football with Spurs on Saturday. Sesko is ruled out and Dorgu is injured. Will Cunha play through the middle again, what's the right balance in midfield as Baleba returns, and is there a case for Yoro’s pace at centre-back after his France debut?

The episode finishes with Ronaldo’s complaint over his Portugal minutes against Messi’s emotional send-off, and Ferguson’s book tour and what he said about living to see the new stadium.

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0:00 Intro: Spurs, City and Fergie

1:36 City’s CPC defence

7:53 Abu Dhabi, power and the exit route

16:51 FFP, the appeal and Burnham

24:56 What did Pep know?

30:05 Spurs preview: team news, midfield and Yoro

44:32 Ronaldo and Messi

50:42 Fergie and the new stadium

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#1054 | Ed and Paul pick through the fall out from City’s guilty verdict and conclude this is a geopolitical story more than football. The outcome might well owe more to diplomacy than to Premier League rules. Andy Burnham's situation and UK ties to Abu Dhabi suggest where the pressure is coming from.

There’s a long look at the City fanbase: why will so few will engage with the evidence or a reasonable discussion about what’s happened? How did a club that was once the punchline become the vehicle of a state?

There’s the damages bill that could run into billions and whether the other 19 clubs would really vote to expel. Could the only clean exit be a settlement fund and a forced change of ownership?

0:00 The guilty verdict
2:54 A geopolitical story
9:42 CAS 2020, six emails and the redactions
15:03 Financial doping
27:18 Why City fans won't engage
30:40 Who's who in Abu Dhabi
39:31 Was FFP ever a fair rule?
47:00 Lawsuits, damages and expulsion
55:36 Can titles be reassigned?
1:02:36 Settlement and getting the owners out
1:12:29 Wrap

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